


you, always you, forever you

by pinkfen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fem!NCT, Femslash, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Rule 63, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 04:46:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkfen/pseuds/pinkfen
Summary: five times people thought mark and johnny were girlfriends, and one time they were right.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Jeno, Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 5
Kudos: 81





	you, always you, forever you

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Global Yentas Project](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251195) by [forochel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/forochel/pseuds/forochel). 



> so ik i said i probably wouldn’t be writing any more johnmark, but i’ve been into them (and femslash) lately, so this little thing was spawned lol
> 
> to forochel-nim, if you see this: you really don’t have to read this, i know it’s not your fandom - but the 5 plus 1 format of your lovely, memorable fic really inspired me since i read it a while back, so i wanted to credit you. i hope you don’t mind me being inspired by you :)

1

‘six degrees of separation?’ mark sips her coke as johnny steals a fry and pops it between her glossy lips. jeno and doyoung glance over, and she lowers her voice sheepishly. for some reason when they lapse into english, they sometimes get a decibel louder.

‘yeah.’ johnny nods earnestly, and proceeds to explain the concept to her. mark listens, pushing her fries over and making johnny flash her a smile without pausing. with her height, she has the luxury of eating as much as she likes without ever gaining a pound. as always, she’s eloquent and interesting, making mark lose herself in johnny’s confident voice. she never knew that everybody in the world was only a few mutuals away from each other, but it makes sense, somehow reminding mark of how they met.

it was earlier this year when jeno very naturally introduced mark to the older girl she’d started dating. doyoung and johnny—the best friend who tagged along to their meeting—are in their second year of university, while mark and jeno are first years in high school.

after their first meeting, jeno asked mark if she judged them, and mark thought at first jeno meant their genders. but she’d meant the age difference.

mark replied then that she had no reservations about it, and feels even more sure of her opinion now. johnny and doyoung are the kindest people she’s met, and though she can’t say there’s no generational gap, there’s nothing weird about jeno and doyoung’s relationship, which is in fact very pure. doyoung is incredibly proper and probably hasn’t even kissed jeno with tongue yet—not that mark’s thought about _that_. and mark herself hit it off right away with both doyoung and johnny, especially the latter.

now, as jeno and doyoung are lost in their private conversation, johnny leans back and regards mark with a twinkle in her catlike eyes.

‘so markie, we should hang out together sometime.’

‘together?’

‘alone,’ johnny clarifies. ‘we always end up playing gooseberry to these two, anyways.’ doyoung shoots her a look; apparently she was listening in.

‘oh. uh,’ mark responds awkwardly with an uncertain smile. they’ve never hung out without doyoung and jeno, and she isn’t sure if their easy chemistry would stick around if it’s just them.

johnny laughs, licking salt off her lips. her lip gloss stays perfect. ‘no need to think for so long, markie mark. you’re so diffident.’

when mark gapes, johnny’s eyes glint further and she starts to explain. ‘it means—‘

‘i know what it means,’ mark huffs. johnny likes to tease her by flaunting her ever-so-slightly better english. ‘and you’re supercilious, johnny.’

johnny blinks, before dissolving into the belly laugh mark’s come to be familiar with. she guffaws until mark jabs her side.

‘god, you’re such a dork.’ johnny’s eyes continue laughing mercilessly at her even as she squirms away.

mark’s about to retort when a guy passing by their table with his group of friends tugs on johnny’s ponytail. mark stiffens in confusion before gathering from johnny and doyoung’s titters that he’s a friend of theirs.

‘your girlfriend?’ the guy suddenly asks johnny, jerking his head towards mark. mark coughs on the sip of water she just took. the guy gives her a friendly, curious smile before returning his attention to johnny, who looks as taken aback by his question as mark.

‘no, what the—why would you think—‘

‘cool.’ the guy shrugs, dimples deepening. ‘sorry, that was rude. i was just wondering.’ muttering a few pleasantries, he lets his friends whisk him away to sit down.

doyoung is giggling quietly and mark notices johnny’s face has a slight flush.

‘who’s that?’ jeno pipes up.

‘just jaehyun from our school.’ doyoung waves her hand. ‘he kind of has the hots for johnny, so…’

johnny gives her the flattest look mark has seen on her face. ‘he does not.’

‘kay, whatever.’ doyoung turns back to jeno, and johnny pointedly avoids looking at jaehyun’s table as she clears her throat and goes back to what she was telling mark before.

‘so as i was saying, where should we meet whenever you’re free? wanna come visit my part-time job?’

on this day, mark learns johnny works at a florist some evenings and on weekends. she hasn’t known johnny long, but mark already knows she’s the kind of person whose life is always full—of people, activities, and in general. thus it’s kind of flattering that johnny wants to meet _her_ , out of all the friends and admirers she probably has, solo.

‘we’ll see,’ she says noncommittally, but can’t hide her smile as johnny bumps her shoulder, arm snaking around mark’s waist on the bench where they’re sitting next to each other. opposite them, jeno and doyoung are playing footsie under the table.

2

‘did you start dating johnny unnie or something?’

the four of them are in mcdonald’s again, the place they often end up when mark and johnny tag along to doyoung and jeno’s dates at their invitation.

‘ _what?_ why would you ask that?’ luckily mark didn’t have food or drink in her mouth, or she might need the heimlich maneuver.

doyoung raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow. ‘are you?’

‘no.’

‘alright, cool your jets.’ jeno takes a bite from her burger. ‘it's just a question.’

‘and why would you ask such a weird question?’ mark’s voice is a pitch higher than usual. she can only feel relieved jeno didn’t raise it when johnny was around—she left for the restroom a few minutes ago.

jeno is distracted by doyoung feeding her from her own straw, but finally replies after swallowing.

’it’s just that you guys have been speaking english more than before, so we thought—‘

‘huh? what has that got to do with dating?’ mark narrows her eyes, unwilling to chill out.

‘wait,’ she gasps. ’is johnny unnie also… i mean… is she gay?’ mark flushes, already regretting her question. she’d assumed johnny was straight like her… but maybe she shouldn’t have.

doyoung directs her shrewd smirk at mark. ‘why don’t you ask her yourself if you’re curious.’

‘ask me what?’ johnny’s voice makes mark jump. the fragrance she’s wearing today reminds mark of fresh peaches. her shoulder-length hair is loose and swept off her forehead with a trio of bobby pins.

’n-nothing,’ mark stutters, making jeno laugh and johnny pout in confusion.

‘babe!’ she gives mark a sidelong cuddle after sliding back onto the seat next to her, which has become their default sitting arrangement every time the four of them eat together.

‘yo dude,’ mark mumbles, shifting under doyoung and jeno’s gazes, though neither she nor johnny disentangle. johnny’s right boob jostles her arm and goose pimples rise across mark’s skin.

doyoung’s smirk hasn’t left her face and instead widens. ‘you went to the toilet, not the wars. what’s with the sappy reunion?’

johnny groans, making a face at her. ‘leave us alone. i can’t help it when mark’s such a huggable size.’

now mark’s really blushing. johnny rarely mentions their size difference, but it’s something which is kind of hard to ignore. it’s not just that mark is so much more petite and diminutive, johnny is quite obviously more well-endowed than her too. she’d find it unfair, if mark didn’t adore her so much.

‘i’m taking that as an insult,’ mark sasses, johnny’s delighted laugh silvering in her ear. she moves a tendril of mark’s hair off her cheek, and mark tries not to shiver. johnny’s fingertips are soft, her touch cool.

 _just because you guys are dating doesn’t mean everyone else is too!_ mark texts jeno angrily on the way home, then leans her head back on the train window and feels a strange ache in her chest. it’s their last year of high school and the older girls’ final year in college. they never had a chance to be in the same school, but they’d done their best to meet up so regularly it didn’t really matter anyway. time flew by faster than she realised, and many things are changing.

mark hopes the four of them can stay the same.

3

mark rushes into the bar breathlessly. her heart only stops thudding after she sees johnny disheveled and inebriated but in one piece, draped over the bartop with her hair obscuring her face.

the bartender waves her over. ‘sorry, we’re closing so i asked her to let me call a friend instead of just putting her into a taxi alone.’

‘no, thanks for calling me,’ mark replies. the pretty bartender smirks, a reaction johnny and mark seem to be seeing a lot of lately.

‘no worries, i just called who she requested.’

johnny asked for mark? did she make a mistake?

mark puts the confusion out of her mind and gently pushes a piece of johnny’s hair over her shoulder. her face is pink and so warm it burns mark’s fingers. she’s dressed in a crop top and denim booty shorts, mile long legs carelessly crossed on the high stool. johnny looks flawlessly put together every time mark sees her, and today is no exception. it’s probably due to her interest in fashion and model proportions. mark feels like she doesn’t really fit in at the bar, in her tee and jeans.

‘hey, you.’ johnny’s husky voice flows over mark, her lashes fluttering. her mascara is slightly smeared, but it only makes those dark eyes more bewitching.

mark steps forward and is caught off guard by johnny pulling her, backpack and all, into a fierce hug. the alcohol on her breath is sweet.

‘unnie,’ mark whispers. ‘let’s go home.’

‘mmkay.’ johnny releases her and runs a hand through her wavy locks. they’ve grown out, but her bangs are still floppy over her eyes.

‘ey.’ the bartender draws mark’s attention as she’s grabbing johnny’s handbag and helping her off the stool. mark looks up, brow knitted, and the girl winks. ‘if she doesn’t appreciate you, call me. here, i’ll write my number on your hand.’

‘she’s not my—i mean, we’re not,’ mark stammers, face warming.

‘back off, yuta,’ johnny hisses in her stupor, leaning heavily against mark and making mark’s eyes dart back to her. yuta laughs, loud in the empty bar and her eyes sparkle at mark as if not believing a word of her protests. mark groans and hauls johnny out with a bow of apology.

johnny kicks off her heels the moment mark lets them into johnny’s apartment with her keys. it’s a cramped rental, but she lives on her own. it’s mark’s first time here.

johnny changes into a sheer tank and drawstring bottoms she finds on the couch without bothering to go to the bathroom, wipes her face with some makeup remover. mark hangs by the side awkwardly, wondering if johnny’s forgotten about her presence, until she pats the loveseat and finally meets mark’s gaze.

‘sit down, babe. what d’you wanna drink?’

mark relaxes, but not completely. she hasn’t seen johnny in a while, but they usually pick up right where they left off no matter how long passes without meeting. she just isn’t quite used to johnny not being bright and chipper and talking her ear off, she guesses.

‘is something on your mind?’ she broaches after johnny sprawls on the couch, leaning her head on the arm and watching mark through half-lidded eyes, her hair fanned behind her like a halo.

johnny lifts her slim shoulders, and mark catches the way her clavicles glimmer in the moonlight. she gulps her tea, reaches to switch on the standing lamp but johnny stops her softly.

’it’s nice like this in the dark.’

‘do you get lonely living by yourself?’ mark doesn’t know why she blurts this out.

johnny laughs. the hem of her tank rides up, flashing a sliver of smooth stomach and she tugs it back down. her nails are painted a lilac colour.

‘sometimes,’ she admits and sighs. ‘don’t worry about me, markie. it’s just—adulting’s _hard_.’

mark feels a pang to think of johnny struggling, johnny alone with her quotidian worries, at night in this little apartment. yet, she doesn’t want to think of someone else coming home with johnny to comfort her, sitting where mark’s sitting now. for some reason.

‘are you—dating anyone?’

johnny blinks, her long eyelashes fluttering, before shaking her head. ‘not right now. you?’

mark says no, and johnny grins her lazy grin. she must have dated people in the past few years, but mark never heard anything about it from jeno, or johnny herself, and she never had the guts to ask despite being curious. mark wonders what kind of person would be johnny’s type. probably someone really great.

 _i miss you_. mark swallows the words on her tongue. fresh out of university johnny got scouted a few times to be a model, but she’d always known she preferred to work behind the scenes, so mark was happy for her when she heard johnny landed an intern job in fashion design. it’s been a hectic year for all of them, and mark regrettably hasn’t found many chances to meet either johnny or jeno, who is now in a different university from her.

she sometimes finds herself wondering if johnny thinks of her, though. like mark does. which was why the call to pick her up today came as a pleasant surprise.

instead, mark apologises. when johnny asks what for, she struggles to put her feelings into words. johnny is so strong, beautiful, glamorous. she’s tough, in a way that makes it hard to believe that she’d _need_ anyone, or second-guess herself often.

just fumbling to express this makes mark feel bad, because after all, johnny’s always been the one who sees mark’s soft side, behind her coarse tomboyish personality. though she finds it perfectly natural to be the bigger person between them, due to their age difference, mark should have been more mature and thoughtful.

johnny is perpetually so sure of herself, and yet now she’s sitting before mark with her eyes vulnerable and defences down. it goes straight to mark’s heart.

she isn’t sure what she said, but she must have complimented johnny’s virtues in some lame way, because she laughs and pushes her hair out of her face, gathering it into a hair tie.

‘i mean yeah, it’s nice getting attention for my talents and my appearance—i put effort into it, after all—but sometimes i just get sudden bouts of insecurity, y’know? sometimes i don’t get appreciated so much as _objectified_. and when you’re practically an amazon like me and you feel like disappearing—well, it’s hard.’ johnny lets out a wry chuckle.

mark doesn’t know how to respond for a moment. it means so much that johnny’s being open and honest with her like this, that she trusts mark enough to be. mark knows she puts up an extra strong front before her, more so than her friends her own age. johnny burns herself up for others. that’s the kind of person she is. if she disappeared—mark doesn’t know what she’d do.

‘you inspire me,’ mark blurts out before she thinks through the words. johnny’s eyes round and her mouth falls open slightly, sensual lips parting.

heat prickles the back of mark’s neck, but she doesn’t regret her confession. johnny is always giving without calculating, more magnanimous than any other unnie mark knows. she dotes on mark like her own little sister. so even as the reasons they had to hang out lessened, even though mark has no shortage of unnies—mark hadn’t wanted to lose johnny.

‘you inspire me too, mark.’

mark didn’t expect johnny to say that. she edges forward on the couch, leaning closer. johnny looks curiously shy, for once, not making eye contact.

‘really, unnie? how?’

mark doesn’t really expect an answer, but johnny waves her hands around with her patented earnestness.

‘just—you’re the kind of person everybody wants to be around. you make people happy.’

mark’s eyebrows shoot up, but johnny continues rhapsodising.

‘i love how passionate you are about your music. and you’re always so fun and chaotic—‘

‘chaotic?’ mark squeals, slapping johnny’s arm, partially because she’s getting embarrassed. ‘how am i chaotic. i’m cool as a cucumber, okay.’

johnny laughs for three minutes straight. mark realises that somewhere along the way, she’d migrated from the loveseat to the couch and johnny’s legs are now in her lap.

‘okay, miss cucumber.’

johnny checks the time, looking back to her usual self, and fusses that it’s too late for mark to head home. mark shyly accepts her offer to stay the night. after she calls her mother, she finds johnny in the kitchen cooking supper. mark leans against the island and they chat about this and that, about jeno and doyoung’s breakup, and how relieving it is that it’d been amicable and the two of them—as well as johnny and herself, mark really means—remained friends.

‘i guess first loves rarely work out, huh. anyway, jeno told me last week she’s into someone new. her classmate—jaemin or something. i haven’t met her.’

johnny smiles impishly. ‘maybe i could meet her too. doie’s got something going on with jaehyun, i think. don’t tell her i told you though.’

mark frowns. ‘i thought he liked you, back then.’

this time, four years later, johnny doesn’t deny it. all she says with a shrug is, ‘feelings change. i guess… he realised she was the one he liked.’

when mark looks up, johnny’s spatula is paused and her eyes are on mark, serious. mark blinks, and johnny has turned back to the food.

‘so how’s uni?’ she changes the subject. ‘sorry, i’ve just been talking about myself.’

‘that’s not true, unnie,’ mark scolds, laughing. ‘school is pretty fine, actually.’

over the meal she finds out that johnny found her soundcloud from jeno and listened to a few of mark’s original compositions, and johnny learns, mortifyingly, that mark sometimes stalks her instagram.

‘thanks for coming last night,’ she murmurs in the morning as she sends mark off at the door, wearing a new change of clothes belonging to johnny.

‘anytime,’ mark replies quietly. johnny’s eyes are searching as she weaves their fingers together.

‘you’re my favourite,’ she says suddenly, voice low. ‘you know that, right?’

‘don’t tell jeno and doyoung.’ she winks when mark stares, stupefied.

‘now you’re just teasing me,’ mark whines, feeling the four years between them acutely. johnny never leverages it, but when she does, it’s lethal.

as is her eyesmile.

‘guilty as charged.’ johnny tightens her grip over mark’s hand before letting go, and mark thinks there might be nothing she wouldn’t do for that grin.

4

mark told jungwoo she’d be fine alone, but he insisted on waiting with her after escorting her from the infirmary.

a strange mix of relief and homecoming sweeps over mark when johnny’s car pulls into the foyer of their campus. mark gives jungwoo a grateful smile and thanks him again, feeling johnny’s gaze on his retreating back as she steps out of the driver’s seat, taking off her sunglasses.

‘who was that?’ johnny asks after at least three questions about how mark is feeling.

‘oh,’ mark replies vaguely. ‘just some guy. he sits next to me in class.’

johnny obviously came from work, dressed in a suit jacket and pencil skirt with her hair in a professional bun. the way she twirls mark’s ponytail around her wrist with a pout, though, is oddly girlish.

mark apologises for making her take off from work as johnny pulls out of the carpark and heads in the direction of mark’s home. johnny dismisses her courtesies.

‘you know unnie is always here for you, right?’ she says apropos of nothing as she turns to mark at a stop light.

mark swallows, her eyes getting teary because of the sniffles. johnny’s face softens, but the light turns green and she’s distracted.

they’ve been texting almost daily in the past year. they always kept in touch, but since that night she spent in johnny’s house, they seemed to draw a degree closer.

‘i can come over later after work. i’ll buy some medicine,’ johnny says when they’re on the road outside mark’s place.

‘i…’ mark’s throat is dry in a way that isn’t flu-related. she hasn’t told johnny—or anyone else—about this yet, and didn’t want to tell her this way. ‘my boyfriend’s coming over.’ she forces the words out.

a silence falls inside the car. johnny takes her hand off mark’s thigh.

‘you’re seeing someone.’

‘yeah, i mean, just recently…’

‘not that guy from just now?’

mark shakes her head. ‘he’s a sunbae from the music club.’

‘oh. well. okay.’ johnny puts her sunglasses back on, one hand wrapping around the steering wheel. ‘you should go on home. get well soon, hon.’

mark is getting out of the car dumbly when she’s stopped by fingers on her wrist. before she knows what’s happening, johnny is leaning over the gearshift and kissing mark’s feverish cheek.

‘don’t.’ mark’s hand flies to her face. the imprint of johnny’s lips burns like a brand in her dizzy state.

‘you’ll catch my flu,’ she whispers.

‘i’m not afraid.’ johnny’s dry laugh tugs at something in her heart.

‘are you afraid of anything?’ mark curses her brain-to-mouth filter that seems to have disappeared with her health.

there’s another long silence before johnny responds.

‘i’m afraid of losing you.’

back at home mark is still thinking of the laughter johnny followed that statement by, her loud _just kidding!_

after she falls into bed, heart pounding, her phone buzzes making her jump in shock. it can’t be johnny, can it?

it’s a kakao message from jungwoo.

_mark-yah, was that noona your gf??_

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this expecting barely anybody to read it since it’s f/f and not explicit but if you do read to the end, im very grateful :) kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated!
> 
> this is one of my first times writing femslash in my life so i hope its not too bad! also sorry if the characterisation is awf, im still not very familiar with mark and johnny, and i find mark’s narrative voice in particular difficult to nail lol
> 
> the second part is much shorter and will be up real quick


End file.
